East Kilbride Premier Inn perform U-turn on kids football club booking fiasco

The hotel giant initially refused to change the dates of Liverpool Under-10s team The Farmers Colts's stay when they were unable to make the trip north during the red weather alert - causing a storm on social media.

A hotel giant scored an own goal when they refused to amend a booking for a kids football team when Storm Emma hit – only to do a U-turn one week later.

Premier Inn were slammed online when a furious Facebook post from visiting team The Farmers Colts, based in Liverpool, went viral.

The depute head teacher and coach of the Under-10s team, Paul McKendrick, told how he had booked rooms for his 10 players and their parents at the Glasgow East Kilbride Central branch for a weekend trip from Merseryside.

But, when the worst snow storm to hit Scotland in 20 years hampered their plans and Paul asked to change the dates of their stay, the hotel showed him the red card, causing a storm on social media.

Now the team have hit the back of the net after hotel owners Whitbread reversed their decision following intense scrutiny.

Premier Inn Glasgow East Kilbride Central (Image: Google Maps)

Paul, 39, told the East Kilbride News: “I was absolutely disgusted that this massive hotel chain was prepared to take £770 from an under-10 football team from Liverpool who couldn’t get to Scotland because of extreme weather.

“They were putting kids lives at risk by effectively forcing us to travel in such dangerous conditions.

“My team are from Croxteth in Liverpool – an area which has one of the highest rates of deprivation in England and where there is a lot of gang culture. The children are educationally disadvantaged, some from low income families, and have been fundraising for the past year to come up to Scotland to play.

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“I booked the accommodation before Christmas and got in touch with the hotel when the red weather warning was forecast. I asked to move the date back a few weeks and was told no, point blank, by the hotel, customer services and a head of their complaints department.

“There was nothing else I could do but post about it on social media – and the support we got was phenommenal.”

Over the last week Paul’s post was shared more than 3000 times with scores of people coming forward offering to donate money to the team.

Members of the Farmers Colts under-10 team with coach Paul McKendrick

An East Kilbride businessman and a company from Glasgow even offered to gift Paul the full cost of the trip.

And the KANO Foundation – a charity who keep football free for kids by offering unique match day experiences at Celtic Park – also lent their support.

But Paul claims it was the assistance of Hamilton Academical Football Club, who the team were set to play, and Grassroots Football UK who blew the whistle on the whole debacle by contacting the hotel themselves.

Grassroots Football UK offer support, resources and advocacy to millions of people that play or support the game.

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Spokesman Paul Kirton said: “It was unfair and unjust for the Premier Inn to take that stance so I rang the Premier Inn and asked them to reconsider their decision in light of the circumstances, and they made a swift decision to amend the booking.

“Given the fact this is a volunteer-run junior football team who raised all that money only to have it taken from underneath them I think the Premier Inn will now agree it was the right decision.”

Dad-of-three Paul, who is originally from Carluke, added: “It’s been a whirlwhind few days. I can’t believe the Premier Inn backed down but they have clearly been under a lot of pressure to do so. To be honest, after this, I don’t want to stay there anymore but the kids are really looking forward to the trip so I had to give them a second bite at the cherry.”

Paul now plans to turn his negative experience into a teaching tool by giving his pupils a lesson on the power of social media.

We contacted the owners of Premier Inn, Whitbread, for comment but they have yet to respond.